Railway traffic controlling system



June 5, 1934. c. F. STOLTZ ET AL RAILWAY TRAFFIC CONTROLLING SYSTEM Filed Feb. 26, 1931 Patented June 5, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE Carl F. Stoltz and Wilmer Welsh, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignors to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester, N. Y.

Application February 26,

11 Claims.

This invention relates to control devices and circuits for switch machines, commonly used for the power operation of track switches on railroads.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and reliable means, in the form of relays and circuits, for regulating the control of power switch machines by a manually operable control lever, in such a way that manual movement of the control lever is required at the time the approach and detector locking is not effective, in order to cause operation of the switch machine, such an arrangement being, in a sense, a substitute for a lever lock.

Other characteristic features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be in part apparent, and in part pointed out, as the description progresses.

The accompanying drawing shows in a simplified and diagrammatic manner one particular embodiment of the invention applied to the control of a single switch, the various parts and circuits being illustrated conventionally and in a simplified manner, more with the object or" making it easy to understand the nature and mode of operation of the invention than with the purpose of showing specifically the detail construction-and arrangement of parts employed in practice.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the stretch of track designated TK, the track switch SW, and the signals 1 and 2, governing traffic over this switch, are shown as typical or representative of a single facing-point switch, which is commonly used at the ends of passing sidings, at various points in terminals, and the like; and an explanation of the invention, in its simplified form as applied to the control of the power switch machine for such a single switch, will readily demonstrate to those skilled in the art, how the principles of the invention may be readily applied to crossovers, double-slip switches, and other similar track combinations encountered in practice.

The switch SW is assumed to be shifted to its different positions and locked by a suitable power switch machine designated SM; and in the particular arrangement shown, it is further assumed that this switch machine will be of the electrically operated type, such as disclosed for example in the patent to W. K. Howe, No. 1,466,903, dated September 4, 1923. In the arrangement shown, the operating current for this switch machine is obtained from a local battery B, or other suitable source of direct or alternat- 1931', Serial No. 518,309

ing current; and the application of operating current to the switch machine over normal and reverse operating wires 3 and 4, is controlled by a suitable polarized two-position remote control relay E, which may be a polar relay of the tractive or rotor type, provided with suitable means, such as toggle links and springs, or permanent magnets, for holding the contact finger 5 of this relay in either of its extreme operated positions, until operated to the other position. The detail construction of this remote controller for the switch machine SM including the relay E, is not material to the present invention, and may take any one of the various forms well known in the art.

When the control relay E is energized over the pair of control wires 6 and '7, with current of one polarity, assumed to be direct current in the arrangement shown, the contact finger 5 of this relay is shifted to a corresponding extreme position, and establishes an operating circuit for the switch machine. This relay E responds to a momentary energization, its contact finger 5 being held in the position to which it was last operated. In short, the control relay E is of the mechanical or magnetic stick type.

The track rails of the main track TX and the turn-out track, together with the switch points are provided with insulated joints and bonds in accordance with well-known practice, to provide a detector track circuit having a track relay T. The track relay T controls a repeater relay TP, located in the distant control office, in the usual way. Also, in accordance with this invention, it is contemplated that other track circuits (not shown) will be provided, in accordance with recognized practice, and that a suitable arrangement of devices and circuits will be employed to act in conjunction with such additional track circuits to provide some form of approach and detector locking, with or without time looking features. To simplify the illustration and discussion the repeater relay TP is assumed to represent the appropriate detector and approach locking relay, the particular arrangement of the approach and detector locking circuits forming one part of the present invention, and not being material to the plan of operation contemplated by the invention. One typical arrangement of such approach and detector locking is disclosed, for example, in the application of S. N. Wight, Ser. No. 120,423, filed July 3, 1926. The relay TP may be considered to be a safety relay, energized when it is safe and proper to operate the switch machine, and deenergized when the presence of a train adjacent to, or approaching the switch, renders it unsafe to operate the switch machine.

The tower equipment, shown in the left-hand part of the drawing, comprising a suitable man ually operable lever LV for operating groups of contacts or circuit controllers a, b, and c. This control lever LV has two extreme positions, corresponding to the normal and reverse positions of the switch. The tower equipment also includes a quick-acting stick relay LS, and a slow-acting relay LP. The relay LS is made with light moving parts, and is intended to be sufficiently quickacting to release its armature and open its stick circuit during the time required to shift the lever LV from one extreme position to the other. The relay LP should be slow-releasing, and is also preferably constructed so as to be slow in picking up. The desired. operating characteristics of the slow-acting relay LP may be operated in any of the well-known ways by the use of short-circuited coils, copper slugs, or the like.

Also, associated with the control lever LV in the tower or control office, and preferably located adjacent to said lever, is an indicating lamp HO, conveniently termed the hands-off lamp.

Considering now the operation, the parts and circuits are shown in the drawing in what may be termed a normal condition. The control relay E is deenergized. The lamp H0 is extinguished. The stick relay LS is maintained energized by a stick circuit which may be traced from indicating one terminal of a battery or other suitable source of current, through the lever contacts a, wire 10, relay LS, wires 11 and 12, front contact 13 of relay LS to indicating an opposite terminal of the same source of current. The relay LP is energized over a circuit from front contact 14 of relay LS, wire 15, relay LP, wire 16, front contact 17 of relay TP.

Assuming now that the operator desires to move the switch SW to the other or reverse position, and that there is no train approaching. When the operator moves the control lever LV from the normal position shown to the other reverse position, the contacts a momentarily in terrupt the stick circuit for the relay LS, which opens at its front contact 14 the energizing circuit for the relay LP. During the time interval between the closing of the back contact 14 of the relay LS and the dropping of the armature of the slow-release relay LP, an energizing circuit for the control relay E is momentarily established, and may be traced from back contact 14 ofrelay LS, wire 18, front contact 19 of relay LP, wire 20. through the pole changing contacts b, over the con rol wires 6 and 7, through the relay E, and again through the pole changing contacts b, wire 21 to In this way. under normal operating conditions, when no train is approaching the switch, and the safety or approach locking relay (represented by the relay TP) is energized, the control relay E is momentarily supplied with current of one polarity or the other, dependent upon the position to which the control lever IN is moved. After such momentary energization of the relay E, its control circuit is broken at the front contact 19 of the relay LP; and substantially at the same instant the stick relay LS is energized by its pick-up circuit over wire 22 and through the back contact 23 of the relay LP, whereupon the control circuit for the relay E is broken at the back contact 14 of the stick relay LS. The control relay E remains deenergized, until the lever is again operated to its other position.

Assume now that a train is approaching or is adjacent to the switch, so that it is not safe to operate the switch machine SM. For example, the train may be present on the detector track circuit, shunting the track relay T, and deenergizing the relay TP. Such deenergization of the relay TP, which is representative of conditions under which a switch. should not oe operated by power, breaks at the front contact 1'7 the ener gizing circuit for the relay LP. This lights the lamp HO through the back contact 24 of the relay LP, thereby indicating hands-off to the operator, because the switch cannot be operated. If the operator should move the lover LV, the relay LS drops and at once picks up again. The control circuit for the relay E is broken at the front contact 1?; of the relay LP, so that the switch machine cannot be operated. Also, since the relay LS has picked up, the operator is obliged to move the lever again to drop this relay LS, before the switch machine can be operated. This additional movement on the part of the operator is in a sense a penalty for attempting to operate the switch mproperly.

When the train, which has thus prevented the operation of the switch due to the detector and approach locking, has departed, and it is again safe to operate the switch, the relay LP is energized, and the lamp HO extinguished. The operator may now move the lever LV and control the switch machine in the normal way.

The lever contacts 0, which are closed at intermediate positions of the lever LV during its movement between the normal and reverse positions, together with the wires 25 and 26, form a shunt for the front contact 14 of the relay L5 in the energizing circuit for the relay LP. These lever contacts 0 and this shunt circuit constitute an optional arrangement, the purpose of which is to prolong the energization of the relay LP during movement of the lever, so that if the lever is moved slowly, or is accidentally or carelessly left on center the time, the dropping of the relay LP is delayed long enough to assure the desired energization of the control relay E, when the lever LV finally assumes its full normal or reverse position.

It will be noted that the combination of the quick-acting stick relay LS and the slow-acting relay LP, with their interconnecting circuits, and with the energizing circuit of the relay E controlled by both of these relays, provides a simple and reliable means for assuring movement of the control lever LV at a time when the approach and detector locking is not elfective, in order to operate the switch machine. Failure of the lever contacts a, or failure either of the stick or pick-up circuits for the relay LS is on the side of safety. It will be observed that the switch ma chine can be operated only during the time between the successive deenergizations of the relays LS and LP; and if the relay LS remains deenergized, the control circuit for the relay E is broken at the front contact 19 of the relay LP. This relay LP is preferably made slow in picking up as well as slow in releasing, in order that momentary loss of shunting of the detector track circuit or other track circuits controlling the approach locking, will not allow time for the relay LP to open .its back contact 2 and extinguish the lamp HO and the operator shift the lever LV to drop the relay LS, prior to the subsequent dropping of the relay LP. Q

Various additions, modifications, and adaptations may be made in the particular construction and arrangement of circuits and devices shown and described, without departing from the invention.

What we claim is:-

1. In a system of control for switch machines for the power operation of track switches, the combination with. a manually movable control lever, a control circuit for the switch machine including contacts of said lever, and means for governing said control circuit including a quickacting stick relay responsive to movement of the lever and a normally energized slow-releasing relay controlled by said stick relay.

2. In a system of the type described, a power switch machine, a control lever, a safety relay responsive to the presence of a train adjacent to the switch, a normally energized quick-acting stick relay having its stick circuit completed in the extreme controlling positions of said lever and open during movement of said lever to the opposite controlling position, a normally energized slow-release relay controlled by said safety relay and by said stick relay, a pick-up circuit for said stick relay controlled by said slow-releasing relay, and a control circuit for the switch machine including contacts of said lever and closed only temporarily upon deenergization of said stick relay, and prior to the deenergization of said slowrelease relay.

3. In a system of the type described, the combination with a power switch machine, a control lever therefor, a track circuit controlled safety relay, a normally energized quick-acting stick relay deenergized by movement of said lever to a different controlling position, a slow-acting relay energized only if said safety relay and said stick relay are both energized, and a control circuit for said switch machine including in series contacts of said lever, a back contact of said stick relay, and a front contact of said slow-release relay.

4. A system of the type described for the control of power-operated switches comprising, in combination with a track circuit controlled safety relay, a control lever, a normally energized slowrelease relay controlled by said safety relay, a normally energized quick-acting relay deenergized by movement of said lever, and a control circuit for the switch machine controlled by said lever and including a back contact of said quickacting relay and a front contact of said slowrelease relay.

5. A controlling system for power switch machines comprising, in combination with a manually movable control lever, a safety relay responsive to the presence of a train adjacent the switch, and means for governing the operative connection between said lever and the switch machine including normally energized quick-acting and slow-release relays, said quick-acting relay being controlled by said lever and said slow-release relay being governed by the quick-acting relay and also by said safety relay.

6. In a system of the type described; a power switch machine; a control lever; a safety relay responsive to the presence of a train adjacent to the switch; a normally energized quick-acting stick relay having its stick circuit completed in the extreme controlling positions of said lever and open during movement of said lever to the opposite controlling position; a normally energized slow-release relay controlled by said safety relay and by said stick relay; a pick-up circuit for said stick relay including a back contact of said slow-release relay; and a control circuit for said switch machine including contacts of said lever, a back contact of said stick relay and a front contact of said slow-release relay.

7 In a switch machine control system, an electrically operable controller responsive to momentary energization, a control lever for controlling said controller, a normally energized quick acting relay, a normally energized slow acting relay, means for successively deenergizing said quick acting and said slow acting relays upon a change in the position of said control lever, and means for momentarily establishing an operative circuit connection between said lever and said controller including back contacts of said quick acting relay and front contacts of said slow acting relay in series.

8. In a switch machine control system, an electro-responsive controller responsive to momentary energization, a control lever for controlling said controller, a quick acting relay, a slow acting relay, means for successively actuating said quick acting and said slow acting relays upon a change in the position of said control lever, and means for momentarily establishing an operative circuit connection between said lever and said controller including back contacts of said quick acting relay and front contacts of said slow acting relay in series.

9. In a switch machine control system, an electrically operated controller responsive to momentary energization for controlling a power-operated switch machine, a control lever for controlling said controller, a normally energized quick acting stick relay, a normally energized slow acting neutral relay, means for successively dcenergizing said quick acting and said slow acting relays upon the operation of said control lever to an opposite position, and means for momentarily establishing an operative circuit connection between said lever and said controller including back contacts of said quick acting relay and front contacts of said slow acting neutral relay in series.

10. In a switch machine control system, a switch machine for operating a track switch, an electro-responsive controller responsive to a momentary energization to effectively govern the operation of said switch machine, a control lever, two normally energized relays, means for successively deenergizing and then reenergizing said two relays upon a change in the position of said control lever, and means momentarily establishing an operative connection between said control lever and said electro-responsive controller when and only when one of said two relays is deenergized and the other of said two relays is energized.

11. In a switch machine control system; a switch machine for operating a track switch; an electro-responsive controller responsive to a momentary energization to effectively govern the operation of said switch machine; a control lever; a stick relay; a slow acting relay; a stick circuit for said stick relay including its own front contact and a contact only opened by said control lever during the operation of said control lever to an opposite position; an energizing circuit for said slow acting relay including a front contact of said stick relay; a pick-up circuit for said stick relay including a back contact of said slow acting relay; and a control circuit for said electroresponsive controller governed by said control lever and closed when and only when said stick relay is dropped away and said slow acting relay is picked up.

CARL F. STOLTZ. WILMER WELSH. 

